Shivaji and His Times c13.s13.4

c13.s13.4

At last, on 16th November, Vyankoji crossed the Kolerun at the head of 4,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry, and attacked Shivaji's army of 12,000 men, led by Shantaji Bhonsle.[*] Shantaji boldly resisted from morning to nightfall, though his cavalry was of inferior quality. The contest was very severe, and many were slain or wounded, including several persons of note. In the end, Shantaji was worsted and fled for two miles. The Tanjore horsemen, after pursuing him for a mile, returned to their tents to rest from the day's fatigue. But Shantaji, on reaching his camp, "consulting with his captains what the importance and shame [of the defeat] would be, resolved to dress and saddle their horses again, and so immediately rode away by other ways, and in the dead of night surprised them fast at rest after so hard labour, their horses unsaddled, and made a great slaughter of them, taking nigh 1,000 horse, the three chief commanders, the tents and all their baggage, and 100 horses more taken by woodmen who fell to share the plunder. The rest fled over the river Kolerun for Tanjore."*